Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - A monster storm that has dumped more than six feet of snow in the Buffalo area this week, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency, led to the N.F.L.'s decision to relocate the Bills' scheduled game against the Jets from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

With at least eight deaths, multiple people trapped in their homes and large swaths of Western New York buried under up to 10 feet of drifting snow, an N.F.L. spokesman announced Thursday afternoon that the game would be moved, but it is still unknown where.

'Due to public safety concerns in light of the ongoing weather emergency in Western New York, Sunday's Jets-Bills game will not be played in Buffalo,' Michael Signora said in a statement. 'We are in the process of rescheduling and relocating the game as part of Week 12. We will provide additional information as soon as possible.

The statement continued: 'We have been in contact with the public authorities, and we realize the importance of all available public safety resources being available for the community at this difficult time. We are also in discussions with the team and the Red Cross on ways the N.F.L. can support the community through this weather disaster.'

According to several media reports, the game could be moved to Detroit, which has an indoor stadium, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The Lions and Redskins are playing on the road this weekend while the Steelers have a bye.

The closest N.F.L. stadium to Buffalo is in Cleveland, and the Browns are traveling this week. Pittsburgh is a four-hour drive from Buffalo. Detroit is about 250 miles from Buffalo, while Washington, D.C. is nearly 400 miles away.

The Bills and the N.F.L. had come under criticism for not making the call to move the game sooner. Early Thursday morning, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in town to coordinate disaster efforts, said at a news conference with county officials, 'My two cents is it would be impractical to do the game because it could jeopardize public safety.'

The Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz emphasized that point. 'We cannot commit to having emergency services personnel and the sheriff's office' at the game, he said.

On Thursday afternoon, the N.H.L. postponed a game between the Sabres and Rangers scheduled for Friday night.

'Due to the continuing weather-related difficulties in the Greater Buffalo area and out of respect for the fans of the Sabres, Friday's game between the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center, N.H.L. Game No. 291, has been postponed,' read a statement from the league office in New York. 'A makeup date will be announced as soon as it can be confirmed.'

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